YESTERDAY I took a day out of the racing week at Royal Ascot to travel south to the beautiful setting of Hickstead.

It was a first visit for me to the venue, one that resonates very much with Irish riders. I was encouraged to make the trip following a chance encounter with Alison Ledingham at the Tattersalls International Event, and boy am I glad I took the hint.

The Hickstead Derby is rightly famous, with the bank and the dyke being among the best-known obstacles in the world of show jumping. I had the great privilege of being able to shadow Tom Freyne on Friday as the course walk was taking place for the Bunn Leisure Derby Trial. It gave me a great insight into what the riders will face tomorrow.

The first Derby was held in 1961 and won by Ireland’s Seamus Hayes on Goodbye. The combination repeated the feat three years later. The then Captain John Ledingham took his first Derby victory in 1984 on Gabhran and added a further pair of wins in 1994 and 1995 on the wonderful Kilbaha. This week John was in the commentary box for the meeting.

Paul Darragh on Iris Kellett’s Pele won in 1975, and then it was the start of a golden time when Eddie Macken and Boomerang became the first combination to win the Derby four times. They also did it in successive years, the only pairing to do so, and Boomerang is the only horse to win four.

Peter Charles, riding for Ireland, won it on three consecutive occasions with Corrada, from 2001 to 2003, but it was to be nine years until Paul Beecher flew the Irish flag again and won on Loughnatousa WB. In 2014 and 2015 Trevor Breen was successful on different mounts, Adventure De Kannan and with Loughnatousa WB.

Incredibly, between 1961 and 2017 only 59 clear rounds have been recorded. Three horses have done so three times and Kilbaha (John Ledingham) is one of that trio. Stroller (Marion Coates) and Apollo (Nick Skelton) are the others.

Hickstead is home to Shane Breen and his wife Chloe and I was delighted to meet Lizzie Bunn too, officially the show secretary – a title that hardly does justice to the work she does. The Bunn name will forever be associated with Hickstead and this is a place that you have to visit. It is only a stone’s throw from Gatwick.

Dining with international racing leaders

THE Lord Mayor of London was among a distinguished list of guests at a splendid lunch held on Monday at Somerset House in the capital. The venue is home to celebrated Australian chef Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant and the host for the gathering was Victoria Racing Club chairman Amanda Elliott.

International leaders from the world of racing, business and government were in attendance and included Ken Ryan AM, Agent General to the UK and Commissioner to Europe for the state of Victoria. The event celebrated the Melbourne Cup, and the first man to train a European winner of the race, Dermot Weld, was among the guests.

Hard to believe it is now 25 years since Vintage Crop went down under to stun the Australian racing public and steal the Cup from under their noses.

The significance of the victory was that it changed the race forever and spurred a growing international challenge for the ‘race that stops a nation’. Some 20,000 international visitors head to Flemington for Cup week and Europe provides the second largest contingent.

Mrs Elliott announced that a new deal with Sky Sports racing will see the channel broadcast the Melbourne Cup Carnival exclusively in Ireland and Britain. The VRC has also partnered with Ascot, Goodwood and the Breeders’ Cup to launch World Horse Racing, a global digital platform which hopes to bring racing to a new audience worldwide.

The chairman also told the guests that Flemington is another in a list of the world’s great racecourses to open new facilities for the public, and 2018 sees the launch of their world-class A$128 million club stand. The Lexus Melbourne Cup is the richest handicap in the world too, an increase in prize money taking its value to A$7.3 million.

I was thrilled to catch up with the world famous milliner Stephen Jones whom I had met on my one trip to the Melbourne Cup in 2010. A guest of Sue Lloyd-Williams at the time of the 150th running of the race, the memory of that trip is tinged with sadness. The winner that year, Americain, was purchased by agent Dave Medbury, who sadly died a few years later.

Gentleman Gluckson

CLARIDGES is not a regular haunt of mine, but I had the pleasure of being there this week to meet with the chairman of the Breeders’ Cup, Fred Hertrich. I did so in the company of the legendary Jim Gluckson, a great ambassador for the Breeders’ Cup and a man who says that U2 is his favourite band. Jim was fresh from an evening in the company with another legend, photographer Pat ‘Cash’ Healy.

Fred Hertrich and the greater Breeders’ Cup team were in town to promote their World Championship of racing, which this November will be run at Churchill Downs. He had lots to say and my interview with him will appear in the paper next week. It is worth reading. Fred has been associated with many well-known horses in his couple of decade’s involvement with racing and breeding, notably Shamardal.

Hickstead honour

WHAT an honour it was for me to walk the course at Hickstead in the company of Lt Col Tom Freyne. The insight he gave me was amazing and I will be watching the Derby tomorrow with a deeper interest. Tom was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel two years ago when he took over as the Officer Commanding of the Army Equitation School following the retirement of Lt Col Brian MacSweeney.

Between 1989 and 1998 Tom rode under Col Ned Campion, enjoying considerable success with Lischane, Castlepollard, Cratloe and Marlton. My thanks to Tom for the guided tour.

Ascot’s perfect balance

WHEN it comes to branding merchandise, all racecourses should take a leaf from the Ascot book. Their on-site shops were upgraded this year and the throngs of racegoers who were leaving with Royal Ascot bags in hand was a tribute to the variety and value of the range of products they had for sale.

The Royal Ascot official magazine also deserves commendation. It is the perfect balance of features that appeal to committed and casual racegoers. Knowing at first-hand the hard work that goes into such a publication, it is only right to give praise where it is due.

Henderson takes to the road

ASCOT chief executive Guy Henderson is supporting his son, Exeter University law student Edward, in his bid to cycle around every Irish racecourse, a journey of 1,442 kilometres, which he and three friends expect will take up to 11 days.

In company with Zac Baker, the brother of former flat jockey George, Hugh Nugent and Ed Bailey, Henderson junior will set off tomorrow with the aim of raising money for Mind, a mental health charity, and the Injured Jockeys’ Fund.

Both charities are close to the cyclists’ hearts as they know many riders who have been helped by the IJF, and they were also struck by the tragedy that befell Richard Woollacott, the Devon-based trainer who took his life earlier this year. The quartet have some sponsorship from Horse Racing Ireland and hope to pick up some support from the Irish racecourses as they go. Did Henderson senior have any words of wisdom for his son? “My only advice to him has been to take plenty of Vaseline!”

Anyone wishing to support the riders can donate via their Facebook page - ‘Ed, Ed, Zac and Hugh Cycle to all 26 Irish Racecourses’. As someone who drove to all 26 courses in 10 months during my visit to them all in 2017, I can only raise my top hat to the four guys.